About

Kristina Laurendi Havens is a full time professional artist living and working in Woodstock, Ga, just north of Atlanta.

Kristina earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts with honors from Buffalo State College.  Her education continued on a full scholarship to Texas Christian University where she earned her MFA in Painting, publishing her Master's Thesis titled "Blurring the Line".

Over the years, Kristina has been privileged to work with multiple esteemed art museums and galleries including the Albright Knox Art Gallery in Buffalo, the Kimbell Art Museum in Fort Worth, the Peninsula Fine Art Center in Newport News, and numerous local galleries as well.

For many years, Kristina co-ran a successful art studio and gallery in downtown Woodstock, GA. Kristina has taught artists of all levels, in a variety of media, and almost every subject.

Her work has received numerous awards, including several Best in Shows, People's Choice Awards, and purchase awards.

Kristina balances her studio time between custom portrait and art work, and teaching. This November, Kristina is launching her newest project - Sketchzatura.

Sketchzatura is the combination of two words - SKETCH - the active practice of drawing skills - and SPREZZATURA - an Italian word from the early 1500's which means "effortless mastery".

In over twenty years of teaching, Kristina has seen over and over again just how valuable drawing skills are to master. Even those which natural talent in this area need to nurture and refine their skills, with continual practice. Drawing skills in black and white are the foundation for all other forms of two-dimensional work, as well as a vital skill for sculptors.

The goal of Sketchzatura is to achieve the Effortless Mastery of Drawing!

Kristina's school - Sketchzatura - is designed with several heartfelt intentions in mind-

*Give artists the tools necessary to develop consistent, beneficial practices to improve their drawing skills

*Provide attainable, measurable goals to keep artists on a path towards Mastery in Drawing (and then painting!)

*Develop inspired courses to learn new techniques in drawing and painting, including re-visiting techniques or subjects that artists may have already explored...but are now ready to master

*Build a community of like-minded creators who value the skills and tools developed through guided direction that enable them to create in their own authentic voice.

*Plan meet-ups, live lectures, and workshops around the world!

No matter where you are on your artistic journey, Kristina has a class for you. And, if you truly feel you have mastered the tools but need next-level individual mentoring, the option to work one-on-one with Kristina is available as well.

EXHIBITIONS and AWARDS

2015 Portrait Society of Atlanta Fall Exhibition, Marietta Cobb Museum of Art, Marietta, GA, Edward Jonas, Juror

2015 Georgia Artists: A Juried Exhibit, Abernathy Arts center, Sandy Springs, GA, Juror Shane MacDonald, First Place, "Temerity"

2015 Cumming First United Methodist Church Festival of the Arts, Cumming GA

2015 Women Painters of the Southeast 4th Annual Juried Exhibition, Blue Ridge Arts Center

2015 Portrait Society of Atlanta Winter Exhibition, LONA Gallery, Lawrenceville, Ga, Michael Shane
Neal, Juror.  Third Place and Member's Choice Award for "My Heart, Away"

2014 Southern Appalachian Artists Guild National Juried Show, Blue Ridge Arts Center, Blue Ridge, GA

2014 Portrait Society of Atlanta Summer of 2014 Exhibition of Members, Roswell Visual Arts Center, Rose Franzen, Juror

2014 Georgia Artists, Abernathy Arts Center, Ga, Juried Exhibition, Best in Show for "My Heart, Away"

2014 Cumming First United Methodist Church Festival of the Arts, Cumming, GA, Juried Exhibition

2014 Women Painters of the Southeast 2014 Members Show, Magnolia Art Gallery, Greensboro GA,
Mary Garrish, Judge

2014 LaGrange National Biennial, LaGrange Art Museum, LaGrange, GA. Annette Cone-Skelton,
Juror.   Purchase Award "Cessation of the Mind"

2013 Cumberland Society of Artists National Juried Exhibition, Richland Fine Art, Nashville, TN, Peggi  Knoll-Roberts, Judge

2013 Portrait Society of Atlanta Fall Juried Exhibition, Marrietta Cobb Museum of Art, Marietta, Ga,
Jamie Lee McMahon, Juror Honorable Mention, "Fragile"

2013 Metro Montage, Juried Exhibition, Marietta Cobb Museum of Art, Marietta GA

2013 Festival of Arts, Cumming First United Methodist Church, Cumming GA. Juried Exhibition. Award  of Merit and People's Choice Award, "The Orange Shirt"

2012 Atlanta Fine Arts League, Botanicals Exhibition, Atlanta Botanical Gardens, Atlanta, GA

2012 Atlanta Fine Arts League, Members Only Exhibition, Roswell Visual Arts Center, Roswell, GA

2012 Festival of Arts, Cumming First United Methodist Church, Cumming GA. Juried Exhibition. Purchase award, "She Wore Violet Shoes"

2011 5th Annual Juried Exhibition "Georgia Only", Atlanta Fine Arts League,  Roswell Visual Arts Center,   Juror Damon Carter.

2011 The Figure Now, Fontbonne University Fine Arts Gallery International Contemporary Drawing Juried Exhibition, Michael Gimaldi, Juror, St. Louis, MO

2011 Nude 2011, Lexington Art League, Juried by Mark Priest and Karen Gillenwater, Lexington, KY

2011 Festival of Arts, Cumming First United Methodist Church, Cumming GA. Juried Exhibition.  Best
in Show, "Reflections of Zen"

2010   Mable House, Southeastern Pastel Society, Members Juried Exhibition

2010                       National Juried Exhibition, Southern Appalachian Artist Guild's, Blue Ridge Mountain Arts Association, Juried by Dr. Annette Blaugrund, Blue Ridge, GA

2010                       4th Annual National Juried Exhibition , Atlanta Fine Arts League, Abernathy Arts Center Gallery, Juried by Margaret Dyer, Sandy Springs, GA

2010                       Metro Montage, A Juried Exhibition, Marietta/Cobb Museum of Art, Juried by Associate Archivist at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, Adrianna Del Collo, Marietta, GA

2010                       14th Annual Inernational Juried Exhibition , Southeastern Pastel Society, Juried by Duane Wakeham,, Oglethorpe University Museum of Art, Atlanta, GA

2008                       First National Juried Exhibition, Southern Appalachian Artist Guild's, Blue Ridge Mountain Arts Association, Juried by Alan Flattman, Blue Ridge, GA

2008                       Painting Processes:a comparison of artwork by students and friends of Shane McDonald Studios,
Harris Art Center, Calhoun, GA

2008                       Solo Exhibit - Drawn from the Live Model, by Kristina Laurendi Havens, Presensted by Ann Litrell Art Main Street, Woodstock, GA

2008                       Metro Montage, A Juried Exhibition Marietta/Cobb Museum of Art, GA, Juried by Dale Clifford and Susan Gunn

2008                       Art From the Heatr,A Fine Art Portrait Exhibition of Geargia's Fallen Heroes Presented by the Atlanta Fine Arts League,
2008                       Simply Drawn, National Juried Exhibition presented by the Altlanta Fine Arts League Art Station Big Shanty, Kennesaw GA

2004                       Mid-Atlantic Art Exhibition, Works on and of Paper, Juried Exhibition, d’Art Center, Norfolk, VA, Don Kimes, Juror

2003                       Annual Painting and Printmaking Show, Juried Exhibition, Cristallo Gallery, Williamsburg, VA

2003   Biennial Exhibition, Peninsula Fine Arts Center, Newport News, VA, Philip Pearlstein, Juror

2001                     Blurring the Line, Solo MFA Thesis Exhibition, Moudy Exhibition Hall, Texas Christian University, Fort Worth, TX

2001                       Off the Wall, Group Exhibition, Texas Christian University Theater Department, Fort Worth, TX

2000                       Just Six, Group Exhibition, New Works Space, The McKinney Avenue Contemporary (The MAC), Dallas, TX

2000                       Making Marks in 2000, Group Exhibition, Ridglea Music Exhibition Hall, Fort Worth, TX

2000                       Americas 2000, Paper Works Competition, Juried Exhibition, Northwest Art Center, Minot State University, Minot, North Dakota

2000                       CROSS/TALK, Juried Exhibition, Moudy Exhibition Hall, Texas Christian University, Fort Worth, TX Juror Award for entry, “Square”

1998 Individual, Solo Exhibition, Gallery 234, Buffalo State College, Buffalo, New York

1997   Fine Art Student Show, Juried Exhibition, Buffalo State College Art Gallery, Buffalo, New York

EDUCATION

2001                       Texas Christian University  (Full Scholarship) Fort Worth, TX
  Master of Fine Arts, Painting

1998   State University of New York College at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY
Bachelor of Fine Arts, Painting Magna Cum Laude

HONORS

  Full Scholarship for pursuit of Master's at Texas Christian University

·         Dean’s Honors List - Eight semesters at Buffalo State college, New York

·         Painting Department Nominee for the Dean’s Award in Fine Arts - 1998, Buffalo State College, Buffalo, New York

·         Award of Academic Excellence - 1998, Buffalo State College, Buffalo New York

·         Karl Laman Memorial Scholarship, 1993, Grand Island, New York

·         Grand Island Art Society Scholarship, 1993, Grand Island, New York